Hey there. Ready for back-to-school? I think we are, it's certainly a process, but one that's near completion. I'm ready for Labor Day weekend, which is looking to be three sunny, gorgeous days here in Minnesota. NICE!

My brother David arrives tonight to hang with us and Stace and Cooper-Doo over the weekend. We'll definitely be relaxing at the pool and cooking up some tasties, maybe fitting in a bike ride, hitting the State Fair, perhaps a movie...who knows? No matter what, relaxing...

Which this week wasn't, therefore the need for unspeed over the weekend. Nathan and I hit the fair on Tuesday - perfect day, cool-yet-sunny, not a big crowd, we pretty much cruised around and plucked the experiences we pleased. Pronto Pups, roasted corn, skytram, giant slide, newborn animals (so cute), and a successful run on the Midway. Great fun, I love the fair. You know, about once about every 4 years...

Last night I enjoyed dinner with Kathie Radcliffe and Mary Pappas, my former office-mates who I don't see nearly enough anymore, boo.

Speaking of good friends...Happy Birthday Susie Silpada Sunshine! I hope Suz sang Happy Birthday to herself, she's got the prettiest voice of anyone I know (except for her daughter, Vivian; OK, duh, I'm sure Viv sang Happy Birthday to her mom and of course Suz loved it). I reminded Suz this morning that she shares a birthday with John McCain, but that she has much nicer... jowls.

Rest in Peace Steve Foley.

Moderate it: my son was a bit horrified by my moderation tactics at the fair - take a couple of bites of something you love, toss the rest, move on to the next fave.

Good morning, sunshine! It's hard not to be up-and-at-em on a morning like this, sunny and crisp, wow. Debbie and Stu the Wine Genius have probably already had breakfast at Lucia's and climbed a mountain, despite hosting us (and Ana Scofield and Rudy Maxa) for a fabulous din last night. That's just how they are - full of energy and fun. It's always a great hang with the Williams, and last night was no exception.

John and I walked into their lovely kitchen to find Stu smearing triple-creme brie onto toasted baguette slices - topped with slices of ripe pear, a few leaves of fresh rosemary, and washed down with sips of Veuve Cliquot Champagne, we were off to a good start...ha! After Rudy and Ana arrived, we moved the party outside, with views of Debbie's gorgeous garden and a platter of melon and prosciutto. Debbie and Stu's beyond-cute pups joined as well - flirty little Margo the long-haired dachsund, and graceful Turley, the tomato-loving dalmation. We sampled a couple of delicious Chardonnays (I...wrote nothing down, and although I did snap a few photos of bottles, it's hard to glean the specifics from them, my apologies) and heartily dug into a platter of the same grilled shrimps wrapped in pancetta and sage that Stu made on The Fourth (I modified the recipe for smaller shrimps, but really, you must try it the way it's supposed to be made; I'll get the recipe from Stu).

Thanks to absolutely perfect weather, we hung outside for a nice amount of time, trying to catch up with Rudy & Ana's travels and hard work filming and producing Rudy's PBS travel series, Rudy Maxa's World. They have been crazy-busy and of course the summer has flown by, so it was great to steal them before they're off again.

We did finally move inside for the main course - Pinot Noir, er, I mean grilled duck breasts, alongside wild rice and tomato salad. I joke because as I sat down at the dining room table, I heard Stu say from the kitchen, "I chose duck because it goes with Pinot Noir." I declare that as Stu's official tagline, it's so perfect. (The Pinot Noir, by the way, was incredible. As was the duck!)

After a slice of berry tart from delicious Rustica Bakery, followed by lots of chat, we finally let Debbie and Stu go to bed! I just about fell over when I saw that it was midnight - BIG oops, since Stacey was hanging with Nathan and I had no intention of keeping her up so late. We rushed home, Stacey was off into the night (er, morning, sorry again, Pooh), and John and I sunk into bed, stuffed and happy after another beautiful night at the Williams'. I don't know how I got lucky enough to have such amazing cooks and entertainers as friends - I mean seriously, both Friday and Saturday nights? Sheesh. Needless to say, I am very grateful.

I don't know about you, but I am more than fortified to enjoy this golden, juicy Sunday!

Moderate it: I'm very lucky that both Friday and Saturday's dinners were fresh and healthy, lightly prepared, chock full o'veggies, and oh yes - deeeeeelicious!

I'm not a Foodie, not really. Oh, I love to cook and eat (and talk about it!), of course, but I'm way too lazy to be a real Foodie, the kind that strives for the very highest quality and most unique of food experiences. I'm much more likely to let someone else crawl the city for the perfect taco and then go check out the goods, ole! If I'm generous I could call myself a foodie (lower case). But in all honesty, I think I'm really just a Foodie Parasite, you know? Sigh. I guess I'm OK with that, if only because it's such a comfortably delicious spot to be in. As in major YUM. In fact...

...I played the happy Foodie Parasite at dinner last night, at the home of John's secretary Kris and her husband Harry. Now they are Foodies - and Harry's a wine genius to boot, so not only was the food incredible but the wine pairings were lovely. Sigh. But let me back up a bit.

First of all, they have a beautifully laid out garden of flowers and vegetables. Many delicious varieties of tomatoes as well as peppers, herbs, beets, asparagus, peas, beans. All the good stuff, much of which went into the spectacular meal they prepared for us. And I'm not exaggerating - it was spectacular. At it's core, a tomato feast, really, tomatoes three different ways. To open, a sliced-tomato salad, simple and clean with basil for garnish. Green, yellow, and red beauties, perfectly vine-ripened and bursting with flavor. Ah, but that was only the beginning. Thin strips of lightly roasted tomatoes followed, seasoned with garlic and herbs, jam-like in consistency and smeared on slabs of toast topped with...homemade ricotta cheese. Oh, that cheese, I'm going to get the recipe, it was divine (Kris said it's simple; just whole milk and buttermilk). But wait! Before taking a bite, a light drizzle of honey-balsamic glaze, just a few drops...now you can eat. Sweet, creamy-crunchy, tomato heaven, yeah.

And then. After a delicious bowl of chilled asparagus vichyssoise, more glorious tomatoes, this time little red-and-gold cherry jewels, tossed with garlic, herbs, olive oil, and bread, then baked into a sublime gratin. It's a Jacques Pepin recipe so I was able to find it online, check it out here. If you're lucky enough to possess garden-ripe cherry tomatoes, then you are set for dinner tonight. It's basically a summer-perfect dish (I was even fantasizing a bit this morning about how good it would be for breakfast, alongside over-easy eggs...mmm...).

We didn't just have tomatoes, of course, although I would have been perfectly happy to, if you can't tell. Yes, Harry also grilled a gorgeous piece of salmon and skewers of chicken, mushrooms, and zucchini, glazed until crusty-crunchy-browned. Rarrr...

For dessert, cheeses and biscotti, as well as...home-roasted coffee. Yes, they roast their own coffee beans, in their garage, using a popcorn stir-pan - they said it's super-easy, and since the results are of course incredible, I may be giving it a try. They served it with nut milk - yes, they make their own of that too, almond milk or whatever stirs their fancy. It was all so delicious and fresh I was inspired to kick my butt into all sorts of gears - grow more tomatoes, try my hand at cheese-making, as well as coffee roasting. (Check back for recipes... OK, recipes for garlicky tomato & bread gratin and homemade ricotta cheese are now posted in comments, below.)

A true foodie-feast my friends, fresh and healthy, beautifully prepared, I enjoyed it so thoroughly. What a nice start to the weekend, huh? And I'm not done, oh no. More Foodie Parasite fun tonight at Debbie & Stu the Wine Genuis', with Rudy and Ana as well - Team Napa! Let's hear it for Foodie friends! Woo hoo!

Moderate it: Kris and Harry eat a mostly vegan diet, although very kindly cooked meat and fish and served dairy for us. Given the quantity and quality of produce they grow, they could be my vegan chefs anytime!

What's this you see? The sorry banquet (wedding, fundraiser, church dinner, you name it) side-dish we've all had a million times, green beans with carrots? Yep, it is indeed - and it was deeeelicious. The green beans and carrots both arrived in my CSA veggie share today, so I simmered until just tender and tossed with a little butter and minced chives. So fresh, wow, the way they're supposed to taste. How...fun!

No, I didn't serve a baked chicken breast alongside (I can only go so far with the banquet kitsch), but instead made these pretty little tomato souffles. I found the recipe online (recipezaar), adapted from Earl Peyroux's book Gourmet Cooking. Peyroux had a long-running cooking show on PBS (although I've never seen it) and the book looks actually pretty fantastic. Funny the things you discover when you google "tomato souffle" (as you can tell, I'm still reaching, looking for inspiration, more than a bit tired of my usual fish & veggies). The souffles are so simple - hollowed-out garden-ripe tomatoes, filled with a tomato-egg filling (I added a bit of goat cheese as well, but I think any cheese would be nice), baked until puffed and browned. Next time I'll add a bit more cheese and salt. As constructed, less than 200 cals/tomato, nice.

Speaking of veggies, I had a great idea tonight, in the vein of one of my (unfulfilled) fantasies...living close enough to everything I love to bike and walk to-and-from. Restaurants, grocery shopping, oh heck even a farmer's market (it's the France/Italy fantasy, where one markets with a basket, buying fresh bread, bottle of wine, cheeses, and fresh veggies on the way home from work... Photo, also a fantasy, I neither bike in the city without a helmet, nor with a fedora, hahaha...)

Since I can do exactly none of those things from where I live, I decided to bike to pick up my CSA veggie share, just a few blocks away. All went well on the way there (although it was a tad tricky getting on my high-bar bike with jeans on, strreeetch), with my last-week's empty box flattened and tucked under my arm. I uber-ungracefully hopped off my bike, deposited the flattened box, and picked up my new box, chock-full of veggies. It was...really heavy! WAY too heavy, in fact, to handle with one arm on my way home, although I gave it my best shot (getting up on my bike, lifting the box, and quickly realizing there was no-way, no-how to balance it with one arm). So I had to put the box back, bike home, and drive back to pick the thing up. Talk about un-fantasy! If anyone watched the whole event, you're very welcome for the entertainment (my attempted box balancing on my neighbor's driveway must have been...completely dorksville at best).

And hey, I have to mention because it's a deliciously good deal, we enjoyed a glass of - get this - Virgin Vines Chardonnay before dinner. Virgin as in Richard Branson, yep, we learned of it from John's parents (you can buy it easily in NYC). As far as we know, it's not available locally, but it sells online for less than $13.00/bottle. And it's tasty, I'm rarely a fan of domestic Chardonnays (I just do not dig the oaky Chardonnay thing) but this is completely simple and clean and crisp, very food friendly.

And Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Moderate it: souffles are really so easy, and pretty, and not heavy at all. And oh, they're delicious to boot! With an average of one egg and a couple of tablespoons of grated cheese per person, they seem so much more decadent than they really are. Enjoy!

I am in some sort of cooking slump lately, I have to admit. I'm not sure why - just feeling less, I don't know, inspired. Is it the hot weather? Overly-busy days? I'm sure part of it is that I feel like I should just be grilling food, instead of heating up the oven (and the whole kitchen), and that limits my options a bit (as happy as I am to grill pretty much anything). I guess this just happens, where inspiration wanes, and you reach a little further for something interesting...

...like tonight, I faced a fridge full of CSA share veggies, a boatload of eggs, and decided to make crepes filled with a simple saute of diced carrots, onions, green pepper, garlic, and mushrooms. With a tablespoon each of creme fraiche and minced fresh herbs* to finish, it really did make a light, lovely din. With a French white, on the deck, very nice. And - thank goodness - Not. Our. Usual! Don't forget about crepes, they're easy, delicious, and mix things up nicely.

* My poor fresh herbs, in pots on my deck. The parsley and dill are completely defoliated by black swallow-tail caterpillars, and the basil is being sucked dry from the inside out by hideous, bronze-y Japanese beetles. Luckily the oregano, rosemary, summer savory, and chives (as well as the tomatoes and chilis) are just fine - plenty of flavor to carry us through the season - but the buggy (and batty!) infestation is a bit disgusting, sigh.

And oh, I DID get the scanned pic of our dinner at Morton's with Andrew & Rishia Zimmern, and Carol & Aaron Mack, to celebrate Aaron's birthday. We were very...BLUE that evening! Fun night, great to see everyone, and once again, Happy Birthday Aaron.

Moderate it: thank goodness that just a little creme fraiche - one of the most delicious creations on Earth - goes a long way. Just a teaspoon to finish scrambled eggs, or a dab in a pan of sauteed veggies (above), or a smidge with fresh berries, makes a dish over-the-top delicious.

Gosh, what a lovely weekend, huh? I can't remember a summer with nicer weather than we've had this year - warm, dry, I'm really trying to savor every minute of it. Man, when it so chooses, Minnesota quite RAWKS. Nice.

I opened the rawkness with an uncharacteristic bit of baking, motivated by my lovely CSA blueberries. Blueberry muffins, in fact, basically crazy-good. Yeah, warm muffins, plenty of French Roast (decaf, I'm a wuss), nice start to the day.

Post-muffin(s), it was high time for a lovely, sweaty walk, today 'round Lake of the Isles, through Lowry Hill, along Mount Curve, and through Kenwood Park. Just...gorgeous. (Mos def topped my buggy, humid walk through the usually lovely Clifton French Regional Park on Wednesday, OMG, I was flat-out attacked by gnats and biting flies, OUCH!)

My stinky self stopped off at Whole Foods on the way home and ran into Debbie and Stu The Wine Genius - they were picking up dinner ingredients after paddle-boarding on Lake Calhoun. (Dinner at their house next weekend, by the way, with Rudy & Ana, yays!)

But just a family dinner here at the hacienda tonight, so I picked up a roasting chicken, loads of naan (flat bread, the kids go crazy for it), and baba ganoush (the Whole Foods brand is particularly tasty). I roasted the chicken on the grill with my faboo Weber roaster, grilled the naan (spritzed with a bit of olive oil spray and sprinkled with a pinch of Kosher salt), grilled CSA veggie share zucchini (sliced thin, same treatment as the naan), and tossed together a quick salad of tomatoes (from my own pots! Finally!), cukes, onions, artichoke hearts, and roasted red pepper. In other words - a Mediterranean feast, more than I had even planned. I didn't quite know where to start when I faced my plate - so many favorites, so little time!

Heck, not even bat guano could distract me from digging in (we have a couple of bats who've taken up residence in our oft-closed shade umbrellas - seriously gross when you pop the umbrella and guano showers down on the table. Uh, yuck. But that's what shopvacs are for - that and disinfectant kitchen sprays, shiver).

Post-Whole Foods, pre-cooking dinner, I snuck in a little time at the pool with John and Nathan. Hot sun, cool water, a spooky book (Ghostwalk, by Rebecca Stott), all good. And what is it about a pre-dinner shower on a hot day? So decadent. Best if warm-not-hot, fragrant (Molton Brown Energising Seamoss, smells like the ocean), quick, no fuss. Followed by a sun dress, swipe of Chanel Glossimer, spritz of Annik Goutal Les Nuits d'Hadrien, ready to cook! Little al fresco dining, blogging, call it a day...

G'night!

Moderate it: I think olive oil spray is one of the greatest inventions ever. I used it to grease the muffin tins for this morning's blueberry muffins and to oil the naan, chicken, and sliced zucchini before salting and roasting them this evening. Low-calorie, tasty, effective - virtually indispensable.

Hey, this is my 575th moderate epicurean post! Crazow! Who knew how much I'd be willing to write when I don't have to? I'll have to keep that in mind, if I ever go back to school, since I apparently just need to write about what I'm eating/cooking, and voila, assignment complete. I realize this speaks (potentially unflattering) volumes about my food-exhibitionist self, but there (here) it is...x 575. Wow.

Gosh, now I'm feeling a little pressure to post a landmark uber-yummy-healthy recipe. But...all I had for dinner was a couple of Ortega corn tostada shells topped with black bean spread and a bit of shredded Monterey Jack cheese, toasted until crisp-and-melty. Not one bit home-made or fresh, sorry. (Although I had some delicious locally grown blueberries for dessert - from my CSA veggie share - kapow the flavor!) OK then. A rather unimpressive and uninteresting, albeit tasty, 575th entry.

Pressure = fffffft.

Moderate it: I tend to use corn tostadas instead of tortilla chips - at 40 cals/each, you get a measured crunch without crazy cals - very good in tortilla soup and for taco-y, nacho-y type things. And yes, I'm still clearly craving Mexican food...

Thursday Afternoon Lunch/Coffee with Suz? Not quite the same ring as Friday Morning Coffee with Suz, but hey, I haven't seen Suz for way too long, so she snuck over this afternoon for BLTs (with goooood tomatoes and Nueske's bacon), chocolate chip cookies, coffee, and chat. John even put in an appearance, post-basketball for a quick shower, and said as he walked in and greeted us, "My wife must be very happy right now." Aww, he knows my minxes mean the world to me, sniff. Good husband.

Speaking of, John and I are off in a bit for din at Masa - that damn enchilada craving, planted this past weekend in Wyoming, has not left me. Gotta scratch the itch, what can I say? Empanadas from El Meson would have done me too. Ah, next time, always good to have options.

Update: Masa was fabulous! Given my passion (obsession?) for Mexican food, I don't know why we don't eat there more often. Delicious, fresh food, beautifully prepared and plated, in a lovely setting to boot. They seem to have turned the lights down inside, BIG improvement (it used to be overly-bright and annoyingly cafeteria-like). We had two small jalapenos rellenos, crispy, spicy, creamy. Also the fat little chicken enchilada pictured above, topped with pickled jalapenos and a drizzle of crema. And my fave dish, carnitas tacos, three little soft, warm corn tortillas filled with tender-crisped pork. Altogether an explosion of textures and flavors, especially when garnished with their smoky chipotle salsa, tart tomatillo salsa, and creamy guacamole. Ole, baby, all the way.

Moderate it: it's tough with Mexican food, it is. I love it all. At least Masa is about quality, not quantity - the waiter brings a moderate portion of tortilla chips (thank goodness, because have you noticed how easy it is to mindlessly eat chips with salsa? Dangerous...), and in fact all the dishes are served in reasonable portions (no one-pound burritos smothered in a half-pound of cheese here, whew). The guacamole is served with crudite (raw cauliflower, cukes, and radishes), a delicious combination. John and I split everything, skipped dessert, and still walked out, well, pretty stuffed. It could have been worse?

Hey man (that's what two-year old Cooper always says, totally cracks me up), how's it going? We snuck away to Wyoming for a bit, to see my dad & Susanna's new home, as well as attend the wedding of Kirby & Misty Taylor. The Taylors - my stepmom Susanna's family - know how to throw a good party, so I predicted a great time...

...and it was! We arrived in Sheridan (WY) via Billings (MT), Friday afternoon. After settling in and spiffing up a bit, it was time for cocktails and dinner on the lawn at Dad & Susanna's new digs. The theme was Mexican - margaritas and homemade enchiladas, guacamole, salsa, and wedding cakes, absolutely delicious. Stacey, Cooper, and Levi Sizzle were already there, as well as my cousin Kim - they drove out mid-week last week. Etta was on our flight, David flew into Sheridan, and Susanna's nieces Marett & Farley (and Farley's husband Stuart) arrived from New York and Chicago. It has been searing, smokin' hot all summer in Sheridan, but we lucked out with a bit of cloud cover and a lovely cool breeze to carry us through the evening. After din, a group of us headed over to the Last Chance Bar for a beer and a bit of gossip. The wedding party bowed out early (so disciplined!) and so we did too.

Saturday was the wedding, at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, the same church where Dad & Susanna were married, er, a few years back. When I was 12 years old. Man, time flies, ouch. Anyhoo, the lovely bride wore a sleeveless ivory silk shantung sheath, with a flared hemline and ivory silk flowers at the neckline. Turns out, the dress was Susanna's sister Margie's debutante dress, hanging in the closet at the Taylor Ranch all these years just waiting for a bride small enough to wear it. Misty was the girl and oh was the dress perfect on her. She added a sheer veil edged in lace and was gorgeous.

The reception was on the lawn at the Big Horn Equestrian Center. Big BIG polo scene in Big Horn, we watched on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons (Saturday the professionals; Sunday the Taylor boys, playing for and winning the Montaylor Cup). Once again searing hot (much relieved by icy cold beer, ahhhh) until the sun dropped behind the Big Horn mountains and then...a lovely, twinkly evening. Dinner (prime rib of beef, but of course, the Taylors are cattle ranchers) and dancing and sore feet ensued, the typical wedding combo.

And now we're home, where everything seems obscenely lush and...flat. Kinda humid (I and my hair LOVE the West's dry air, love, love, love it). But it's nice to be home anyhow, always the best part of taking trips, actually. Home = Good! Although I am craving Mexican food, hmmm, sure could go for some of those leftover enchiladas right about now, rarrr...

But no. Instead, I'll set my appetite aside and send my Best Wishes to Misty and Kirby for a long and happy life together. L'chaim!

Moderate it: I find that the old advice about cutting calories at cocktail parties - sip a glass of water between cocktails - works quite nicely. So does standing far away from the nibbles (unless you're at a Taylor function, where someone always politely comes around with the tasties, damn their perfect manners).

I biked around Cedar Lake this morning and am sad to report...it smelled like autumn. Lots of fallen leaves, sigh. But hey, swarms of gnats (I discovered several stuck to the sweat on my face when I got home, pretty; I was afraid to check my teeth) keepin' it summer-real. Thank goodness.

So, I did experiment with making summer squash (as a substitute for zucchini) bread. I baked both a sweet and savory version. The sweet version is fantastic, moist and cinnamon-y, delicious with coffee; the savory was just meh. (Recipe posted for sweet version in comments, below; use summer squash or zucchini, they're deliciously interchangeable).

Moderate it: many short bread and muffin recipes call for way too much sugar. It's worth experimenting with cutting it back a bit - I find it hurts neither texture nor flavor, while reducing the calorie/carb profile at least slightly. Hey, every little bit helps.

Due to receiving one of the most enormous cabbages I've ever seen in this week's CSA veggie share (albeit not quite as large as the one in the pic), I made an unlikely summer soup yesterday - er, cabbage soup. Studded with potatoes, with a hint of bacon-smokiness, served with a sprinkle of gruyere cheese, pretty hearty fare (even though light on the cals, and somewhat diuretic, thank you, cabbage). But somehow it all worked, and tasted great, and I have leftovers for days. And days. More days than I'll want to eat cabbage soup. In August. Good thing it freezes so well. I can far too easily imagine some chilly damp day, only short months away, where I'll be damn glad for a bowl of cabbage soup to warm my bones.

Back to summer: I shockingly didn't eat anything tomato yesterday - I'm currently all-tomato, all-the-time. 'Tis the season, yesss! Tonight, I'm thinking a simple herb frittata, with some lovely chopped garden tomatoes thrown in, finished with a dab of creme fraiche, alongside a few more of those lovely fingerling (thumbling, toeling) potatoes. Pass the salt. (Because cabbage soup is diuretic - see how that works?)

What to do with my second giant summer squash, also in this week's veggie share? There were two - one I skewered and grilled with bell peppers and red onions (below). This second one, hmmm... If you, like I, are faced with an abundance of summer squash, check out this link to more recipes than I could ever think of. The fried squash puffs look delicious for a party - squash fritters, as it were. Anything frittered is fine by me, and potentially moderate if enjoyed in the low single digits. I've even been tempted in summers past to experiment with squash bread - basically golden-hued zucchini bread - but in the end haven't given it a go. I could even imagine going savory with the concept, a cocktail muffin, a la the spinach-feta cocktail muffins I made up last summer (pictured). I may mess around a bit, stay tuned...

Moderate it: cabbage and summer squash have very few calories. Sauteed in a bit of olive oil, and finished with fresh herbs, salt, and pepper, and even a squeeze of fresh lemon, both make delicious, nutritious sides (or mains).

I keep forgetting to post a recipe for one of my favorite soups - pappa al pomodoro, or tomato bread soup. I had a delicious bowl in Tuscany, very thick, topped with a generous drizzle of olive oil. Last weekend a craving popped up, as cravings tend to do, and I went digging for my recipe. Which I couldn't find. But that's what Google is for, and in no time I had a pot simmering away. It's a great way to use lots of garden-fresh tomatoes, but short of possessing those, it's terrific made with canned tomatoes too. (Recipe posted in comments, below.)

So, Bizarre Foods night at the Twins' game last night was a blast (other than the Twins lost). We didn't eat anything more unusual than kettle corn (Nathan loves it, for good reason, it's freshly popped and pretty incredible, recipe here) and a hot dog. No complaints! We sat by lots of nice people (Andrew Z, his adorable son Noah, Noah's adorable friend Sophie, Sophie's very nice dad, and Andrew's very nice in-laws) and one crazy dude (not part of the Bizarre Foods group, although he was certainly bizarre). Noah and Sophie went home the color of Smurfs, thanks to blue (!) snow cones. Nathan and I went home slightly blue ourselves, thanks to playing with Noah and Sophie. All in all, a Smurfy-fun night!

Moderate it: tomato bread soup can be over-the-top rich, or not rich at all, depending upon how much olive oil you use. I started with a little less than the recipe called for, and decided it was completely delicious without more drizzled on top. You decide.

Mom and I headed over to the Farmer's Market early this morning and cashed in on lots of tasties. First off, a grilled brat for breakfast, smothered in sauteed peppers and onions, topped with kraut, relish, and mustard. With a beer, I would have been ready for a Badger football game! But no, instead we grabbed coffee and roamed the veggie stands, scoring sweet corn (first of the season for me), tomatoes, green beans, raspberries, potatoes, and radishes. We took a pass on the giant iced cinnamon rolls, but oh boy did they look and smell temptingly, stickily scrumptious.

I came home, pooled my treasure with booty from Thursday's CSA veggie share, and out of the bounty made myself one helluva vegetarian feast for lunch. I roasted myself an ear of corn - rarrr - then sauteed tofu with thin slices of garlic, onions, and jalapeno. I tossed pieces of summer squash, red onion, and red bell pepper with a bit of olive oil, salt, and minced fresh herbs, then skewered it all and grilled until soft and charred. And then, The Kill, I boiled a few fingerling potatoes (tiny ones, more like thumblings, or even toelings, ha) and ate them tossed with a smidge of butter and sprinkle of Kosher salt. They were creamy and just a bit sweet (I personally don't like uber-sweet new potatoes), very potato-y, and absolutely delicious. I will most certainly be looking for those babies again.

Tonight we're heading to the Twins game for Bizarre Foods night at the Dome. Rumor has it AZ is offering Bizarre Foods-inspired tasties...I'll fill you in on any adventurous details later.

Enjoy your Sunny Saturday!

Moderate it: it's pretty hard to go wrong with food from the Farmer's Market - fresh, just-picked vegetables and fruits and locally-raised meats. Real food. Good food. Real, good-for-you food. I dig it.

Dang I had a great time tonight (uh, technically last night) at Lurcat with Kim & Suz. We spiffed and spritzed up a bit and sashayed into the sparkly bar, ready for gazpacho with anchovy toasts, mini-burgers, and frites with naughty Bearnaise for dipping. Went down like buttah (Bearnaise!), baby, sooo good. Especially the brrrgrrrs, on home-made potato rolls, slathered in shallot-red wine butter, rarrr (recipe here).

Right in the middle of our cacklefest, in walked Kevin & Kristi Hykes, great to see them (haven't since the Badger Blast last fall)! No community blocks of cheese to bite into, and no podcast mic (Kevin checked under the bun of a burger, ha), just quick hellos before they joined another couple for din.

About half-way through our evening, we somehow wandered into the topic of Eddie Murphy's rendition (are there others?) of Boogie in Your Butt. Real classy, that song, and yet...20 years after first hearing it (Cami played it for me in our freshman dorm at UW), it's still absolutely slaying me. I mean, we cried we were laughing so hard, just like the first time I heard it. Take a hot cup of Brim, fill it to the rim... Luckily, upon hopping in my car for the drive home, we were able to pull it up on my iPod. A little Lake of the Isles' scenery, little Boogie in Your Butt, and poof, we were home, just like that. Awww, it always goes too fast when I'm out with my minxes. Thanks for a great night - and deeelicious food, uff I'm stuffed - miladies!

You know, I did remember to pick up my veggie share, but I have yet to go through it. Too tired, more tomorrow on what little gems await me...

Moderate it: I figure when I dine a la Kim & Suz, I burn so many calories laughing that I don't worry so much about what I've ordered. Therefore the frites with Bearnaise. Therefore the chocolate profiteroles with salted caramel ice cream. Urgh. Hahahahaha (that's the sound of me, you know, burning more calories)...